Being on a silent retreat adventure

2 1/2 day without speaking . Amongst other exercises all of 60 persons were sitting together through a 3-course dinner in silence. The only sound heard was the cutlery against the porcelain and it’s never been that loud before. The food has so much more taste when you notice that you are eating and focus on the flavour. When you become quiet, you will hear much more. Not only sounds on the outside, but you will hear your own thoughts. You will meet yourself. 60 persons each had their own adventure inside their heads.

Silence is good. I have been to seven 10-day silent retreats to explore silence and what happens. I have now been the guide of 3 silent weekend retreats, and that is a different story. This weekend we were at LOKA spa for our second retreat. Even though me and super-coach and psychologist Cecilia Duberg were talking, teaching and planning we were affected by the silence and exercises. We were amazed in the power of a weekend of silence and meditation. The collective peacefulness is contagious.

Just listening to your own thoughts and what you are saying to yourself in your mind can be an eye-opener. A silent retreat isn’t only about being silent. It’s about connecting with yourself. You might feel lost, frustrated, or restless. You might not have had/made time to connect with yourself if you are in a constant company with a smartphone and distractions around. Or you might have followed the road that everyone else takes or listened to what others think you should do instead of listening to the ‘voice inside’. During a retreat you will increase your ability to concentrate and focus, to be more present and alive. It might be about remembering things you forgot were important, about accepting something difficult, letting go of the past, making an important decision, facing your fears and finding courage. All of the above is nothing you can buy for money or search for in a book or on youtube, it’s something you have to experience.

Nothing on the outside changed during the weekend. Everything happened inside the mind and body. What is so amazing is that the outside world looks different because of our inside adventures.